Faith Over Fearনমুনা

My most towering enemies often stand, not in front of me, but rather, within. Fear and anxiety have acted as ever-present foes, threatening to paralyze me. But praise God, He never called me to fight my battles alone. Instead, He arms me with truth, a sure and victorious sword.

My worries thrive whenever I lose focus. They begin to die when I shift my view from myself, my circumstances and problems, and onto the One who reigns over all. This is rarely easy. When worries come, often one concern bleeds into another, then another, adding strength to each one, until I’m a fretful, nauseated mess. But when I center my heart and mind in my Almighty Father, my fears lose their power as strength and courage, found in surrender, take hold. 

As a writer, I’m constantly fighting insecurity. I want to live and write fully for Christ, but I also know every contract I sign could easily be my last. When I maintain surface-level, reactionary thinking, I deceive myself into believing my sales numbers or “platform” hold power over my career. When I do, my peace soars and dips with the ever-changing market. Worse, my creativity begins to shrink, leaving me questioning every word and sentence I write.

This past fall, during a busy speaking season, I received my most intimidating edits to date. What made this more challenging was the fact that, based on the turn-around time, I wasn’t sure I’d receive critique-partner feedback. What if my rewrites destroyed the book? What if my readers hated it? What if I disappointed my editor? 

As all of these questions swirled unchecked through my brain, they triggered a near-panic response within. But then God’s gentle whisper stilled my heart with truth. He reminded me that He was with me, had presented me with this assignment, and would empower me to walk through it. He alone gives me the power and strength to do what pleases Him and my creativity comes from Him alone.

More than that, He reminded me of His love, sovereignty, and constant faithful care. He’s not just Lord, Yahweh, the majestic Creator and sustainer of all things. He’s my Lord, Adonai, my Master and my King (Psalm 8:1). He calls me to worship Him with all my heart—with all that I am (Psalm 9:1), entrusting all of my fears and concerns to Him. He is my protector and defender who causes all my enemies, even those warring within me, to stumble and perish. 

Though today’s Bible reading addresses physical foes, our Defender brings victory for every battle—those that are external and exist in our minds. God is bigger than our strongest fears, our worst failures, and our most pervasive weaknesses. When we remember that and rest in who He is and all He’s promised, confidence grows, overpowering our anxiety with peace. 

~Jennifer Slattery